The past week brought a total solar eclipse and a magnitude 4.7 earthquake to the northeastern United States (among other places for the eclipse). For the folks who will seize any opportunity to invoke the rapture and possibly God's judgment on specific subpopulations, it was a convergence too delicious to pass up. This in turn could not be overlooked by the folks who love to trot out a science fact. Don't you know that eclipses and earthquakes have natural causes, and that the eclipse has been predictable for decades? … [Read more...] about Science Corner: So When is an Eclipse not Just an Eclipse?
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Science Corner: There Goes the Sun
On Monday, I found myself swept along by the solar eclipse enthusiasm without really meaning to be. I didn't travel, content with the 80% or so of an eclipse experienced in the Pittsburgh area where I live. I didn't buy any special viewing equipment--not because I doubted the risks, but because I figured I'd use a pinhole viewer if I watched at all. And yet when the moment arrived, I found myself outside with a small group from the office building where I work, sharing a pair of special glasses graciously offered by a … [Read more...] about Science Corner: There Goes the Sun